Journey in the Dark
by Wocket
Summary: A response to a challenge...what would happen if you had detention with Snape?


Title: Journey in the Dark. (1/1)  
  
Rating: PG (.but just because there is no smut doesn't make it unreadable!)  
  
Challenge: To write what you would choose for a one hour detention with Snape.  
  
Author: Wocket  
  
Copyright: Renee Strong 2001  
  
Infringement notice: I don't own anything from Harry Potter. He and his wizard universe belong to JK Rowling. No infringement of copyright is intended. Hopefully this story can be viewed as a dedication to her wonderful work as a storyteller. However this situation, Wat Theand and the creatures within are mine. Borrow them if you please, but ask me first.  
  
Archiving: Just ask! ; )  
  
Journey in the Dark. (1/1)  
  
"And what do you think you are doing?"  
  
Wat turned around guiltily to face the potions master. She's been idly adding potion ingredients to her cauldron, watching it fizz, bubble and change shape. Caught up in the creative process, she'd stopped listening to Snape's monotone instructions, and was adding whatever caught her fancy. She tried to put on an innocent expression.  
  
"Nothing sir."  
  
Behind her the potion bubbled up with bright green foam, which slid over the edges and proceeded to burn a hole in the table.  
  
"Really?"  
  
His voice dripped with polite malice. The foam turned blue and began to fill the potions room with big multi coloured bubbles. A small smile scuttled across Snapes face.  
  
"Half an hour's detention this evening and 50 points from Hugglepuff."  
  
Snape turned and strode back to his desk.  
  
"But Sir! I've got quiddich Practice for the game against Slytherin tomorrow. It's not Fair!"  
  
Wat hadn't meant to shout, but she had. Hugglepuff rarely won against Slytherin on the quiddich field and it was important that the entire team practice their moves together, tonight had been their last chance.  
  
Snape rounded on her, eyes glittering.  
  
"100 points from Huggelpuff and 2 hours detention this evening. Care to try for more?"  
  
The entire class was staring at her. She's just lost more than half of the house points so far. Wat looked down at her bubbling cauldron, not daring to look the professor in the eye.  
  
"No sir."  
  
  
  
Throughout the rest of the day no one would talk to her, not even her bunk- mates. Her classes passed with a strange tenseness, and at one stage one of the boys from Huggelpuff tripped her in the hallway. Everyone laughed. When it came time for detention she was dreading it.  
  
Slowly she trudged down the lonely hallways to the dungeons, past relieved looking first years as they exited from the Potions room to the warm embrace of the common rooms. She winced to over hear that Professor Snape was in a particularly bad mood. From what she could tell the new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor had taken it into his head to show the professor the proper way to mix potions during the last class.  
  
From ahead there was the sound of smashing glassware and then an explosion. The potions classroom bletched dark, acrid smoke. Wat only caught a whiff and it tore at her lungs. Two figures barrelled out of the classroom, blackened by the explosion. She recognised one as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher and the other one was a fuming Snape, both coughing and wheezing  
  
"Same time tomorrow?" asked the new professor. Before Snape had time to clear his lungs and answer the other professor had walked away down the corridor. Snape gave the retreating figure a look of pure hate and began to dust off his robes. After a moment he looked up.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
Wat looked at the floor, daring not to speak, hoping he'd forgotten.  
  
"Well? Have you gone mute?"  
  
She cleared her throat and in a tiny voice said "My detention, sir."  
  
"What?"  
  
In a louder voice this time, looking the Professor in the eye, "My Detention, Sir."  
  
Snape ran a hand through his dark, greasy hair. His eyes focused somewhere in the distance, as if viewing his thoughts from a long way off.  
  
"Right. Follow me." He turned on his heel and stalked down the corridor. Wat followed, walking fast in order to keep up.  
  
"I was going to have you prepare ingredients for all of next weeks classes. Unfortunately, the classroom is currently."Snape paused in order to find the best word for it. ".uninhabitable."  
  
His mouth formed a sneer and he muttered something under his breath.  
  
They walked deeper and deeper down into the dungeons, further than Wat had ever been. The walls turned from quarried dark sandstone to damp rock-face. Wat let her fingers drag against it till she came across a patch of slime clinging to the wall. She withdrew them with a shudder. After what seemed like forever they came to a stop, in the darkness between two pools of torchlight. Snape seemed even more sinister, the darkness enfolding him like a cloak.  
  
"Wait here." His voice was soft, almost a whisper in the dark.  
  
Wat felt him move away down an unlit passageway, vainly listening for his steps over the cobbled floor. She waited for him to return for what seemed like an hour, with only the distant torchlight for comfort. The walls of the passage seemed to close in on her with each breath, the darkness constricted around her till all that was left of the world was the sound of her breath and the impossibly distant torchlight. Something crawled over her hand and she stifled a scream. At the same time she head a voice close to her, it was Snape.  
  
"Vos Lumeier!" Wat gave a deep breath. A strange silvery green light bathed the side passageway where he stood. The walls seemed to glitter and move slightly in the hazy air. Snape looked towards her with a curious glance, as if to gauge her reaction. He held out his hand towards her.  
  
"Come. They won't hurt you."  
  
Wat wasn't sure what he meant until she realised that the glitter and movement was the reflection from the scales of transparent dragons, no longer than half a meter long. For a moment she stood awestruck as they slowly moved around the professor, sniffing at his robes with curiosity.  
  
With great care she took a step into the passageway. The dragons turned towards her in surprise, and then curiosity, sniffing the air to gain her scent. Wat took Snape's hand and he led her to a group of four stone chairs, all facing each other. Snape sat down and motioned Wat to do the same.  
  
As soon as she sat a dragon placed it's head on her lap, just like a much loved dog. It looked up to her with soulful eyes. Tentatively she reached out a hand to stroke it behind an ear. To her surprise her hand touched warm scales and soft delicate hairs, almost as soft as feathers. It closed it's eyes in contentment. After awhile Wat dragged her eyes away from it and towards Snape. He was siting with no less that three small dragons curled on his lap and over the stone armrest. One even lay with it's head resting contentedly on his shoulder. He felt her gaze and looked up.  
  
"They are called Lupum Venustas. Twilight Beauty. I harvest them for some of the highest level delicate and complex potions." Noticing her look of horror he added, "We DO NOT kill them. They give of themselves freely if you treat them with love and care."  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Wat, her brown furrowing.  
  
Snape's eyes darted down to her lap and them back.  
  
"Look at your hand."  
  
Wat's took her hand away from the dragons head. Her hand was covered in a substance that looked for all the world like shimmering glitter. The dragon sighed contentedly and moved away, making room for two others to leap onto her lap and get comfortable. Snape held up his own hands. Even his robe was covered with the ethereal stuff.  
  
"Perhaps next time, Miss Theand, you will treat your valuable potions ingredients with respect and care." It was said gently, but she knew that it wasn't a question.  
  
  
  
Well what do you think?  
  
-Wocket 


End file.
